A couple months ago, I did a post on making the most of your wardrobe – reusing and reinventing what you already have to come up with fresh outfits… Well, I’ve been putting it into practice, and here’s a fun example for you guys 🙂

One of my favorite tops is a black and white striped boatneck top that I got at Old Navy last year for around $10…. an awesome deal that has served me well as a go-to winter/fall shirt and beyond! It’s super cute, works for my figure, and will always be on trend 🙂 My challenge to myself was to find 5 ways to wear it that were different than normal, and I was able to get even more than that from my $10 top… I’ve shared my most workable three here. All photo credit goes to the awesome Laura R., author of the photography blog “Laura’s Photography“. Aside from being a wonderful friend, she’s an amazing photographer with a great eye, and I had so much fun shooting with her this week 🙂 (P.S. – I also found out that it’s a lot more fun to edit someone else’s photos than your own!!)

So without further ado…. the outfits!

1. Date Night

This outfit is best for any date or event where you’re feeling a little girly and want to step up the casual a little bit. The key to this outfit is in the details. The pearl jewelry adds a touch of feminine class, as does the lace fabric of the skirt (a splurge for me at $20 at Target!). I completed the look with kitten heels with bow details, tying in the colors and sealing the girly tone 🙂
If you’re not into the whole girly-girl look, modernize the outfit by switching out the pearl necklace for a bright necklace with a good focal point and bright nails (like my rapidly chipping mani 😛 – “Spring Street” by NYC + “Gold” sparkle polish by Milani)
If you’re feeling more casual, switch out the shoes for a pair of casual flats or Sperrys and less dressy jewelry.

These cuties by “Mootsie Tootsie” were my first pair of high school party shoes three years ago 😛 ❤

A birthday gift from my parents, this Stauer necklace is one of my favorites, and has appeared in several of my photography attempts and countless outfits 🙂

2. Working Chic

If you work in a semi-casual environment and love a little color, or if you’re just going somewhere and want to look a more little put together, this outfit (my favorite by far xD) is for you!
This outfit was inspired in so many ways… it started out with a book (I can’t even remember which one) that said a scarf tied around the neck is super-Parisian (yes, that’s paraphrased :P)… So in the interest of experimentation, I grabbed the nearest scarf (which happened to be a beautiful, really bright party favor from an Indian-themed birthday party :D) and just tried it… I’d also picked up a tip from the latest InStyle magazine for printed shoes that entails rolling up the hems of jeans to ankle length to show off the shoe. So why not try it with my new super-cute patent leather Mary Janes? (Long story, but I’d been looking for a nude heel for a while, and I grabbed the pair by Soda in the pictures for $15 at Burlington Coat Factory a few weeks ago <3) The blazer (H&M) came last, as a way to tie in the whole outfit, and it became my favorite, just like that! When accessorizing the outfit, I wanted to give it a little bit of a “single girl” edge, so I added what my friend calls my “breakup ring” (which I got at a sidewalk sale for $5 – SCORE) and a pair of oversized hoops (3 pairs for $5 at Walmart) for a little dose of Attitude (and if you’re a single working woman like me, you’ve earned that for sure :P)
P.S. – the bag is just your average mid-size white bag… I think I got it from Walmart, but it was a few years ago, and I honestly don’t remember how much it was… but I love it 😀

Favorite pair of jeans right now… they have little rips up near the top of the leg, and I LOVE the wash! Playing with the contrast while editing was SO much fun when it came to the jeans…

$5 at a sidewalk sale in Haddonfield… and I don’t even remember what the store was… lol

3. Girly Urban

What a contradiction, right? Well, that’s the thing I like about fashion – contradictions work! (most of the time, anyway…) This outfit breaks a few rules – but that’s what rules are for, right? First, black and blue. Who says, I say! Next is two seemingly contradictory genres of style. But I and others have found that they actually coexist quite well! So much for rules.

This outfit works really well for a dressy casual occasion, or just for a feel-good, look-good day. The jeggings are SO comfortableeee, and the jewelry is just fun to wear. I found the jeggings by “YMI” at Bare Foot Shoes when I was in Philly with my mom, and the necklace was a steal for $5 at Charming Charlie’s (my favorite jewelry store in the world!). The earrings I made myself (courtesy of Christiana’s Jewelry Shoppe), and the beaded headband was apparently from Children’s Place (one of my mom’s give-away-or-throw-away items that I’ve kept for several years…). The shoes I found for $10 on clearance at Old Navy, and while I have to admit, they’re not fun to wear for more than a few hours, they’re one of my favorite “attitude” shoes 😛

For this outfit, if you’re feeling more urban than girly, pair it with some rocker jewelry in a dark metal (like gunmetal) and handful of rings, dark makeup (I just stuck to lip gloss and winged liquid liner) and no-mess updo… I liked the girly touch in gold and pink hues, but that’s a personal style preference based on the day I chose it!

Here’s a better view of the headband and jewelry! (I’m actually obsessed with the necklace <3)

This bag has been through the mill with me for over five years now (as you can see, it’s a littler worn 😦 )… I still like to think it’s real (HA), even though I got it for free at a giveaway… but it’s such a great go-to bag 🙂 🙂

So anyway, those are three of my favorite outfits with this top – Date Night, Working Chic, and Girly Urban! I really want to hear from you guys, so I have two questions for you!! Which outfit is your favorite… and what are your tips or tricks for making the most of YOUR wardrobe?

Feeling glowy and summery? Match your mood with bold jewel tones and happy neutrals! For instance, brighten up a room in a glowing yellow dress like the one by Ora Kiely (my go-to bright dress is a super cute bright yellow pleated dress by B. Smart – I’ve gotten so many compliments on that dress :P) , or add a exclamatory punch to your royal blue ensemble with a bright yellow bag like the Michael Kors clutch or a jewel tone shoe similar to the pictured Valentino pump 🙂

As always, you can pair your brights with neutrals (beige is a choice color this season!) to calm the outfit down without losing your sunny vibe… or start with a neutral palette as offered with the Van Mildert sheath and build on it with some bright accessories in your color of choice!

Hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment and share how you’re wearing your brights this summer!

Love all bold – color and print? Here are some simple ideas of how to style it 🙂
I’ve included some of the bolder Pantone 2013 colors in the “All American Bold” Polyvore set; Poppy Red and Tender Shoots, as well as the softer Dusk Blue as an example of how to temper the fun (but noisy) colors in an ensemble. I’ve also used some popular bold prints as backgrounds – Chevron, broad stripes, and of course, the timeless polka-dot xD

I’ve always wondered what the secret to mixing metals was. Often you’ll see a woman with a gold necklace and a silver bracelet and or earrings, and it just doesn’t quite look right. So I’ve been experimenting lately, and I have a few tips for those of you who love to mix different metals!

1. Pair them close together – The farther you put the different metals from each other, the more disjointed it looks. Pairing a air of silver earrings with a gold bracelet or shoes often disrupts the flow of things and creates a disjointed look. However, if you pair two bracelets – one silver and one gold, or a set of silver and gold bangles together, you get a mixed look that is cohesive and intentional. If you’re lucky enough to have two or more ear piercings, you can mix the looks there as well. And if you don’t want to wear just bracelets, try pairing long earrings with a shorter necklace to minimize the extra space.

2. Layer, layer, layer – Also similar to the first principle, layering clusters the different colored metals and makes it look intentional. The best way to layer is to layer lengths, colors, and textures. pair a short gold necklace with a long gold one, maybe with something in between, like I did here. Also note how each necklace has a different texture – the gunmetal one is skinny and light, the silver one is medium sized and simple, while the gold one is heavier and more richly textured. Doing this varies the look and adds layers of interest.

Principles 1 & 2 for mixing metals!

3. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t mix metals – While many people are totally anti-metal mixing, it’s NOT against the rules! If mixing metals is something you’re into, go for it! Just keep in mind the few rules and tips I mentioned, and you can end up with a killer look 🙂

Extras:

Just as an afterthought, metals are SUPER easy to find! I got the gold chain from my mom (who bought it as a piece of costume jewelry in her 20’s,) and I bought the silver and gunmetal chains from Fusion Beads (http://www.fusionbeads.com/), and just attached clasps to both of them (and I got them all for under $5). So don’t be afraid to borrow your mom’s chain necklace and pair it with the one you found out the flea market and the one your friend gave you! The trick is to go with it and just have fun!

As another afterthought, I experimented with a completely classic outfit this morning – hence the metal chains (definite classic – and YES it WAS classic before gangstas adopted it!!! @ my dad), denim jacket, blue jeans, and converse (come on, those are pretty classic :P).

So anyway, just post a comment, like this post, follow me, whatever – let me know what you think!

<3Christiana<3

P.S – and I just realized that you can’t see my jeans or converse, but that’s ok! I promise I am wearing them 😛

Like this:

So I found this video from one of my favorite fashion “youtubers”, and I love no-sew, easy and unique DIY, so I jumped on it! The only thing I was disappointed about was that I didn’t have more lame t-shirts to redo!

Anyway, I varied a little from her idea and gave it my own personal touch, so here are my pictures of the finished product 🙂